Astrid wasn't sure what fell into the water, but it had her fiancé inside of it. She was sure, however, that the outer layer had been ice and Hiccup had escaped ice before. She ran over to the edge of a cliff and stared down into the water. The other vikings watched, waiting for her to give them a sign that their chief was alright. "He'll be coming up any second now." Astrid whispered to herself. The water below her didn't change. "Any second now." Nothing happened. She began to worry. Holding back tears, her hands began to clutch her heart. "Any second..." Astrid's voice wavered and she began to cry. The village began to remove their hats as she fell to her knees. Another chief had fallen.
A voice from behind interrupted Astrid's thoughts. "What a shame." She recognized the cold, heartless voice of her former captor. "It truly is. It would have been so much fun to see you two fight together in the arena." Astrid could tell that he had his sickening smile hidden beneath the mask. "But I guess you can be quite entertaining on your own." She cringed as his hand rested down on her shoulder. His helmeted head leaned down next to hers and he whispered to her. "In more ways than one." He didn't know what hit him.
Astrid shook her hand, waving some of the blood off of it. Romulus removed his helmet, a newly punched hole now set in the face covering. He clutched his nose as he gestured for his men to coral her with the other vikings. She was moved to the front of the large pack of vikings and had two guards assigned to hold her arms down. First ran over to Romulus. "Are you okay, sir?" He asked, legitimately worried. "I'm fine, First." Romulus responded. "But sir..." First reached with a handkerchief to tend to his master's nose. "I said I'm fine!" Romulus backhanded his servant knocking him to the ground, leaving him legitimately hurt. When his bleeding stopped, Romulus stood up straight, facing away from his prisoners. "You ruined my dramatic reveal, Astrid. But it matters little." He turned and Astrid gasped.
He was bizarre, truly bizzare. The first thing Astrid noticed was the pitch-black streak that crossed through his silver hair. And then, the red markings all over his face. Scars. Hundreds of small scars with two large ones forming a perfect X over his left cheek. Then there was his eyebrows. Those weren't really strange, it was just that the auburn didn't seem to originate from the same place as the black streak. Astrid looked over him several times before she finally noticed the truly strange part. His eyes were black. Not pure black, he also had the rich green ring that seemed to run through Hiccup's family, but the parts that should've been white weren't.
Romulus noticed Astrid staring at him strangely. "You like them?" He gestured to his unnatural features. "My parents said I was born with normal features." He began, shifting into his story. "My brother and I were born exactly the same, we each had the same hair color, eye color, faces, size. This displeased Pluto. He knew that each of us were destined for a different plane of Hades, and he wanted to make sure he knew which one went where. So, on the eve of my first birthday, he himself ascended into the mortal world. Posing as a common thief, he snuck into my bedroom and cut my across my cheek with a magic knife." He rubbed the X on his cheek. "My parents came into the room before he could get the other one. However, they deed had been done. Over the next three days, the magic traveled up my face, turning each eye black and then ending with my hair." He ran his hand perfectly over the black streak, having memorized where it was.
Astrid stared at the crazed man speaking of strange people and places with a face of confusion and worry. Not only did he look strange, but he was wrong in the head. Romulus smiled at the girl and then walked up to the frozen doors of the Great Hall. He pointed his staff at the large piece of ice and the Black death obeyed. The beast snaked its middle head down from where it was flying and began to suck away the ice. When the door was clear, the Roman armies charged in and pulled out everyone that had still been inside. Including Gobber and Valka. A single soldier ran out holding a piece of white armor. He handed it to his Lord as he passed and then continued on. Romulus held the helmet up to the sun before chucking it down into the ground. Angered, he began to step on it until it was nothing but shattered metal.
The vikings were caroled into a large group. Those that had just come from the Hall looked around frantically, wondering where Hiccup was. Gobber and Valka moved alongside the now unguarded Astrid, who had begun to cry again. "Ladies and gentlemen of Berk!" Romulus addressed the islanders. "Your chief, Hiccup, is dead." A collective gasp came from those that hadn't known. A few, including Valka, began to cry. "I am now your ruler, Emperor Romulus of Rome, and you will obey every command I give you, or you will be punished by death. Now, bow before me!"
Whispers were exchanged between the vikings, but no one moved. Romulus became irritated. "I said, bow!" He yelled as he slammed his staff onto the ground, signaling his dragon to roar. Frightened, the vikings obeyed, save one. The blonde had had enough. She took a deep breath and stood as straight as she could. Romulus looked at her. "Astrid...Astrid, Astrid, Astrid, you know better than this. Now, be a good girl and bow." Astrid stayed standing, looked Romulus straight in the eye and said a single word: "No." Romulus fumed. "Then you leave me no choice. He unsheathed his sword.
Valka looked up a little to catch a glimpse of Romulus as he approached Astrid, instead she watched as the shards of Remus' helmet began to glow, but it was a faint glow, she was probably seeing things.
Snotlout was at the back of the group, overlooking where Hiccup had fallen. His keen ears began to pick up a whispering bubbling sound. He looked down at the water to see a slight glow being covered by a small amount of bubbles. It was probably just the sun playing tricks on his eyes, he'd have to teach it a lesson later.
Valka continued to watch the helmet shards as they began to glow brighter. She could also hear a high-pitched humming coming from its direction. It continued to get brighter, but Romulus was too focused on Astrid to give it any mind. It eventually hit the point where Valka could no longer look at it and she dropped her head. When she lifted it again, the pieces had disappeared.
The bubbling had increased to the point where the people around Snotlout could hear it. He looked down at the glow, something was definately happening there, something big.
Romulus stopped in front of Astrid, and sighed. "It is a real shame, Astrid. I didn't want to kill you, but I have to set an example." He pointed his sword at her and then lifted it into the air. Astrid closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. I will see you soon, Hiccup. Romulus prepared his swing downward, taking in a deep breath and focusing on his target. He yelled and swung his sword downward.
The ocean erupted.